Waste receptacle having a semirecessed container



Feb. 6, 1968 A, A. cowAN ETAL 3,367,528

WASTE RECEPTACLE HAVING A SEMI-RECESSED CONTAINER Filed Aug. 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l i INVENTORS ARA/@LD A. COM/Au, l 50 HA REY T L/A/DE i 5 THOMAS P. MAHoA/Ey A TTOEA/EY Feb. 6, 1968 A. A. COWAN ETAL l WASTE RECEPTACLE HAVING A SEMI-RECESSED CONTAINER Filed Aug. l2, 1965 2 Sheets-Shee 2 INVENTORS ARA/QLD A. Con/AN, HARRY 7T n1/0E y 7PM/WAS R MAHoA/Ey A rroeA/EY United States Patent Otice 3,367,528 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 3,367,528 WASTE RECEPTACLE HAVING A SEMI- RECESSED CONTAINER Arnold A. Cowan, Tarzana, and' Harry T. Linde, Los

Angeles, Calif., assignors to The Bobrick Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 479,252 7 Claims. (Cl. 220-18) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A housing is recessed in a wall opening, said housing having a shield member extending downwardly from a top portion thereof and defining the upper extremities of a forward housing opening. An upwardly open waste receptacle is received in the housing opening with at least a part of said upward opening being permanently openly exposed at all times forwardly of said housing shield. Cooperable engagement means including a lock is provided between upper and lower portions of the receptable for removably retaining the receptacle in the housing.

This invention relates to a waste receptacle and, more particularly, to a waste receptacle for use in the washrooms of hotels, motels, transportation terminals, factories, oflices, theatres, and other public places, the receptacle incorporating a waste container which is semi-recessed in a housing recessed in a wall and protected against unwarranted removal from its installed position in said associated housing.

Wall-mounted, recessed waste receptacles have many obvious advantages over freestanding receptacles, especially in public washrooms, the most obvious advantage being the aesthetically they greatly improve the appearance of the washrooms. Additionally, of course, they provide greater free floor space and do not impede iioor cleaning. Furthermore, they are protected against damage and unwarranted removal and theft.

, Conventional recessed waste receptacles customarily incorporate completely recessed or liush waste containers.

For instan-ce, the containers are located in the housings behind iiush doors thus substantially reducing the capacity of the receptacles because the containers must be substantially shallower than the housings. Consequently, the capacity of such conventional receptacles is substantially reduced.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an aesthetically acceptable, semi-recessed waste receptacle of substantial size for a washroom, which'receptacle may be readily installed in a shallow wall strucl' ture or which will have a much greater capacity than conven ional receptacles of the small overall size.

It is another object of the invention to provide a receptacle which includes -a relatively shallow wall-recessed housingV and a semi-recessed container in said housing which may be locked in installed position as a protection against unauthorized removal, and which may be quickly and easily removed from the recessed housing for waste removal and-cleaning.-

Another object of the invention is the provision of a receptacle of the aforementioned character wherein containers may be provided in different horizontal depths for association with the recessed housings, whereby one housing may handle different amounts of waste.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a receptacle of the yaforementioned character wherein housings of different horizontal depths are provided for use with containers of the same depth so that containers thicknesses.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a waste receptacle of the character descri-bed which may be manufactured economic-ally, and which may be readily installed with a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the construction, arrangements, and combination of the various elements of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a front elevational view of the receptacle of the present invention;

,FIG 2 is a side elevational view of the lustrated in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a shallower recessed housing;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, but showing a still sh-allower recessed housing;

FIG, 5 is a perspective view of the receptacle as i1- lustrated in FIG. 4, but showing the container removed from the housing;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, vertical cross-sectional view of the receptacle of the present invention shown fully installed, the view being partially broken away;

FIG. 7 is a View taken on line 7 7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, partially sectional view showing an alternative embodiment of the receptacle of the invention.

The receptacle 10 includes a rectangular housing 11, designed so as to be received in a rectangular opening formed in a wall, and to be secured in said opening. As illustrated in FIGS. 2-4 of the drawings, the depth of the housing 11 may be selected according to the depth of the wall structure in which itis to be installed.

Conversely, to vary the capacity of the receptacle 10, the housing 11 maybe provided with containers 50 which are of dilicerent horizontal depths. As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the housing 11 incorporates a top l2, a bottom 14, sides 16, and a back 17, The housing 11 may be of unitary construction, die-formed and fabricated from stainless steel or similar metal.

.The housing 11 has a flanged frame 20 mounted on its outer edges, the frame 20 being disposed so as to overlie the wall surface and conceal the opening in the wall when the housing is received therein. The housing 11 may be' secured in the wall opening by any suit-able means, such as by screws, nails or other fasteners located in c-ountersunk bores 22 formed in the sides 16 so as to secure the housing 11 to structures within the wall. i

An arcuate shield 24 extends concavely downwardly and inwardly from the outer edge of the top 12, and is suitably supported on the back 17, by weldment to the frame 20 and the back 17 so as to support the shield 24 in spaced relationship to the back 17. The lower portion of the shield 24 is preferably flattened vertically so as to form a seat for a tumbler lock 30, centrally disposed on the shield 24. A key 32 for the lock 30 is provided. A rotatable bolt 34 depends from the'lock 30 and is extendable through an opening 31 below the lower edge of the shield 24 into an opening for the reception of the container 50 hereinafter defined, said opening being defined by the lower edge of the shield'Zl,` the bottom 14, and the sides 16.

Centrally located on the bottom 14 and extending into said opening is-a detent 40 which, as shown in FIG. 6, has a rearwardly disposed oblique end 42.

An open-topped container 50 vdisposable in the housing receptacle il- 11 has a front 52, a back 54, sides 56, and a bottom 58,

the bottom 58 being recessed within the cont-ainer 50vso as to overlie the detent 40 when the container 50 is received within the housing 11.

3 The upper edges of the front 52 and sides 56 are preferably rolled, as -best shown in FIG. 6, so as to eliminate the risk of contact with rough or sharp edges in handling the container 50. As illustrated in FIGS. 2-6 of the drawings,

the horizontal depth of the container 50 is substantially greater than the horizontal depth of the housing 11.

The upper edge of the back 54 is bent rst inwardly and then horizontally outwardly, the inward bend 60 supporting the outward bend 62 which is aligned with the upper rolled edges of the sides 56 and defines a flat transverse strike 62 having an elongated opening or slot 63 therein. For further support of the strike 62, the free end thereof is bent downwardly in parallel alignment with the back 54, as shown at 64 in FIG. 6, and is secured to the back 54, as by welding. The slot 63 is adapted to receive the bolt 34 to secure the container 50 in the housing 11.

Externally mounted on the bend 60 adjacent the corners of the container 50 defined by the intersection of the back 54 and the sides 56 are hooks 70 which extend above the upper surface of the strike 62 and are disposed so as to abut on the inwardly -bent portion of the shield 24 when the container 50 is fully positioned within the housing 11 so as to maintain the container 50 in that position. The hooks 70 also serve as supports for a waste bag (not shown) which may be placed in the container 50. A second pair of hooks 72 is mounted within the container 50 at the intersections of the upper edges of the front 52 and the sides 56, said hooks 72 also serving as supports for said waste bag.

When the housing 11 is installed in a wall, as hereinabove described, the container 50 is tilted so that the lower edge of the back 54 may clear the detent 40, and the container 5l) is moved into the opening in the housing 11 disposed to receive it until the lower edge of the back 54 has made contact with the back 17 of the housing 11. The container 50 is then lowered until the lower edge of the back 54 is seated on the bottom 14 of the housing 11, and the container 50, is then rotated rearwardly until the back 54 engages the back 17 of the housing 11, whereupon the key 32, inserted in the lock 30, is turned so as to move the Ifree end of the bolt 34 into the slot 63 in the strike 62 so as to retain the container 50 in its upright position within the housing 11. The bottom of the container 50 is maintained in position within the housing 11 by the abutment of the rear edge of the bottom 58 upon the inner extremity of the detent 40. The shield 24 will also serve as a baffle plate to direct waste material into the container 50.

To remove the container 50 from the housing 11 for purposes of waste removal therefrom, or for cleaning, the key 32, inserted in the lock 30, is turned so as to remove the bolt 34 from the slot 63, and the container 50 is tilted outwardly and downwardly. Tilting the container 50 is readily accomplished due to the angular rear end 42 of the detent 40. The container 50 is rotated sufficiently to clear the lower edge of the bottom 58 from the detent 40, and the container 50 is then removed from the housing 11.

An alternative embodiment 80 of the receptacle of the invention is shown in FIG. 8 as including a housing 81 of identical configuration with the housing 11 of the previously discussed embodiment of the invention.

The housing 81 incorporates an open-topped container 82 which is adapted to have an auxiliary, removable sack, bag or container insert 83 of a rigid nature, such as metal or plastic, disposed therein for the reception of waste.

The container 82 is not removable bodily from the associated housing 81, as in the previously discussed embodiment of the invention, but is connected at its sides to the adjacent sidewalls of the housing 81 by pivot pins 86, one of which is shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings.

Therefore, when the removable insert 83 is full of trash or waste, the container 82 is tilted outwardly from its vertical position in the housing 81 into the angularly oriented position shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings to permit the insert 83 to be removed therefrom by grasping the handles 87 associated therewith.

Of course, the provision of the pivot pins 86 eliminates the necessity for the provision of the detent 40 which serves to maintain the container 50 of the original embodiment of the invention in operative relationship with the associated housing 11.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what are conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments thereof, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent structures and devices.

We claim:

1. In a semi-recessed, wall-mounted waste receptacle, the combination of: a relatively shallow housing adapted to be recessed in an opening in a wall, said housing having a top, bottom, sides, and a back; a frame mounted on said housing to overlie a wall; a concave shield mounted on said top of said housing and extending arcuately downwardly therefrom, said shield, sides, bottom, and back of said housing defining an opening therein; a waste container disposed in said opening in said housing adjacent the back thereof and protruding therefrom; a lock mounted on said shield to secure said container in said opening; and a detent mounted on the bottom of said housing and engaging said container to retain it in said opening.

2. In a semi-recessed, wall-mounted waste receptacle, the combination of: a relatively shallow housing adapted to be recessed in an opening in a wall, said housing having a top, a bottom, sides, and a back; a frame mounted on said housing to overlie a wall; a concave shield on the top of said housing adjacent the outer edge of said top and extending arcuately downwardly therefrom in spaced relationship to said back, said shield, sides, bottom, and back of said housing deiining an opening therein; means for supporting the lower edge of said shield on said back; a waste container disposed in said opening adjacent said back and protruding therefrom; a lock on said housing for securing said container on said opening; and a detent in said housing for engaging said container to retain said container in said opening.

3. In a semi-recessed, wall-mounted waste receptacle, the combination of: a relatively shallow housing adapted to be recessed in an opening in a wall, said housing having a top, a bottom, sides, and a back; a frame mounted on said housing to overlie a wall; a concave shield on said top of said housing adjacent the outer edge of said top and extending arcuately downwardly therefrom in spaced relationship to said back, said shield, sides, bottom, and back of said housing defining an opening therein; means for supporting the lower edge of said shield on said back; a waste container having a front, back, sides, and a recessed bottom, said waste container being received in said opening with its back adjacent the back of said housing, with said container protruding therefrom; a lock in said housing to removably secure said container in said opening; and a detent mounted on the bottom of said housing to engage said container bottom and retain said container in said opening.

4. In a semi-recessed, wall-mounted waste receptacle, the combination of: a relatively shallow housing adapted to be recessed in an opening in a wall, said housing having a top, a bottom, sides, and a back; a frame mounted on said housing to overlie a wall; a concave shield on said top of said housing adjacent thev outer edge of said top and extending arcuately downwardly therefrom in spaced relationship to said back, said shield, sides, bottom, and back of said housing defining an opening therein; means for supporting the lower edge of said shield on said back; a waste container having a front, a back, sides, and a recessed bottom, said waste container being received in said opening in said housing so that its back is adjacent said housing back, with said container protruding from said housing; a lock mounted on said shield to removably secure said container in said opening; and a detent on said bottom of said housing to retain said container in said opening, said detent having an oblique inner end to permit the removal of said container from said housing by tipping said container outwardly and downwardly relative to said housing.

S. In a wall-mounted waste receptacle, the combination of: a rectangular housing adapted to be recessed in a wall opening, said housing having a top portion, a bottom, and sides; a shield mounted on and extending downwardly from said housing top portion, said shield having a lower edge spaced rearwardly of forward extremities of said housing sides, said shield lower edge with said housing bottom and sides defining an opening in said housing; an upwardly open waste receptacle removably received in said housing opening, at least a part of said receptacle upward opening being permanently openly exposed at all times forwardly of said housing shield and beneath said housing top portion when said receptacle is secured in said housing; iirst engagement means between said housing and a lower part of said receptacle engageable when said receptacle lower part is inserted into said housing opening; second engage-ment means between said housing and an upper part of said receptacle engageable when said receptacle upper part is inserted into said housing opening; and at least one of said engagement means including lock means co-operating with the other of said engagement means to lock said receptacle secured in said housing but permitting complete separation of said engagement means from said housing and complete removal of said receptacle from said housing when selectively unlocked.

6. A waste receptacle as defined in claim 5 in which said rst engagement means includes detent means between said housing bottom and a bottom of said receptacle engageable when said receptacle lower part is inserted partially downwardly and into said housing opening.

7. A waste receptacle as defined in claim 5 in which said second engagement includes lock means between said housing shield and said receptacle upper part.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,860,224 5/1936 Bode 220-18 2,082,181 6/ 1937 Pressnall 206-195 2,748,973 6/ 1956 Rockola 220-18 3,038,629 6/ 1962 Morton 220-18 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE E. LOWRENCE, Examiner. 

